DHS grads looking for help with feature film

Alex Michael Harris, left, and Brent Pella, both 2008 graduates of Davis High School, attend the LA Shorts Fest premiere of their last short film "Memoirs." The pair are working on a feature film as their next project. Courtesy photo

Davis High School graduates Alex Michael Harris and Brent Pella are partnering to create their first feature-length film project.

Two years ago, the 2008 graduates produced a short film that was shot entirely in the Davis area, including scenes at Davis High, at the Davis Little League fields and in various neighborhoods throughout the city. That film, “Perfect Jimmy,” has since premiered at multiple film festivals.

Now, the Los Angles-based duo are working on a teen mystery/drama feature, “Blank Youth,” which chronicles the rise and fall of a youth commune establishment as seen through the eyes of two 17-year-old runaway boys. The project is under review for a Sundance Institute Fellowship Program, and the filmmakers plan to begin production in October or November of this year.

” ‘Blank Youth’ comes from a personal place — it’s from the heart — and that’s where the best movies originate,” Harris said in a news release. “I want this film to deeply affect its audience and I also want it to entertain and shock people, ultimately creating a huge splash as our debut feature film.”

Pella added: “The ambition and naivete of adolescence are character traits that many people have felt growing up, and are two common themes that intertwine for our main characters throughout this unique and exciting story.”

Harris and Pella note that with a bigger film comes a bigger budget. They are in the fundraising stage of the project’s development, and are reaching out to community members and businesses for support in the form of donations of any size.

They recently launched an online fundraising campaign sponsored by From The Heart Productions — a nonprofit charity organization that makes all donations of $75 or more tax-deductible — atwww.indiegogo.com/projects/blank-youth.

“The support of our hometown is tremendously important, and we would not be able to evolve this project further without the help of Davis community members,” Pella said.

Harris added: “After six months of diligent work, we are ready to move out of development and into casting and financing. Thank you in advance to everyone who gives us a chance and helps us chase our dreams for this film and for our careers as well.”